TOP STORIES

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City council has passed a resolution calling on Mayor Greg Gasataya to investigate possible fuel contamination in the city and to strictly enforce an existing ordinance regulating fuel dispensing pumps in retail outlets. The measure highlights the need to ensure compliance with City Ordinance 601 in 2012, which mandates …

By CESAR JOLITO III A coalition composed of 32 civil society and church organizations has called for justice, transparency and lasting peace following the deaths of 19 individuals in a violent encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town on April 19, as the national government maintains a firm stance against reopening peace negotiations with insurgents. In …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City council has approved a resolution urging the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) board of directors to terminate its joint venture agreement (JVA) with PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., citing alleged material breaches in service delivery, investment commitments and operational performance. Authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., the resolution seeks the …

By CESAR JOLITO III A labor group has strongly criticized the national government for excluding private minimum wage earners from cash assistance programs, calling for their immediate inclusion amid rising living costs. In a Labor Day protest statement dated May 1, Wennie Sancho, secretary general of the General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA), urged the …

By CESAR JOLITO III House Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has firmly denied allegations that lawmakers were offered financial incentives in exchange for supporting the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. Benitez issued the statement following claims by Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte, who alleged that certain members of …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved Mayor Greg Gasataya’s request to enter into an agreement with a private firm for a P4-billion waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, marking a significant step in the city’s push to modernize its solid waste management system. The approval, granted on April 29, authorizes Gasataya to sign …

By CESAR JOLITO III Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez confirmed that the Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed all criminal and administrative complaints filed against him and other respondents over the city’s landbanking project during his tenure as mayor. In a statement, Benitez said the ruling effectively clears them …

By CESAR JOLITO III Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. has issued a public warning after a fraudulent Facebook account surfaced online impersonating him and attempting to interact with residents. In his Facebook post, Escalante said the fake account has been sending friend requests and private messages while falsely presenting itself as his official social …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez has filed a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for a formal inquiry into the deadly armed encounter in Toboso town’s Barangay Salamanca. House Resolution No. 968 directs the appropriate House committee to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, into the …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) has raised alarm over what it describes as a “converging storm” threatening power stability in the Visayas, citing thin supply reserves and escalating global oil risks as key drivers of a potential energy crisis in the coming months. In a …